The Bulldog Buzz!
Special (AREAS) Edition
Coming up in Specials during May...
Art - Ms. Perry
In April, we are headed to Europe! First grade is learning about French artist Claude Monet and Impressionism- a style of painting that tries to quickly capture the light, shadows, and colors of a landscape. We read both Linnea in Monet’s Garden by Christina Bjork and Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists: Claude Monet by Mike Venezia, and are going to create a painting of water lilies- Monet-style! Afterward, we are going to create an Italian-inspired, self-portrait collage enititled A Pizza Me!
Second grade is traveling to Spain to learn about artist Pablo Picasso and his Cubist style! We will read Pablo Picasso and the Girl with a Ponytail, which is based on one of Picasso’s most famous paintings and shows a glimpse of the life and art of Pablo Picasso. We are then going to create a portrait using Cubism! Second grade will also make a stop in Italy to learn about Leonardo DaVinci- the Renaissance man! We will check out some of his most famous artwork and inventions and make some inventions of our own to solve the world’s greatest issues!
Third grade will learn about the famous Spanish artist Salvador Dali, Belgian artist Rene Magritte, and Russian artist Vladimir Kush as our introduction to Surrealism! We will discuss some of their most popular artwork, as well as the importance of the Surrealism movement before creating our very own Surreal collages!
Please don’t forget to check out Bullock’s ART SHOW on May 30th from 4-6 pm! Every student will have artwork on display! Reminders will be sent home on the week of May 13th.
Character ED & Counseling - Ms. Brice
It’s testing season and I've been focusing on preparations for the NJSLA (formerly known as PARCC). Our 3rd graders have been working with their classroom teachers to become familiar with the assessment, as well as the online tools that they will use to navigate the testing website. It is important for students to be present and on time during testing dates. If you have a previously scheduled appointment, vacation or other conflict, please make your child’s teacher aware so we can plan for make-up testing accordingly. Testing can bring on some extra worries for students, parents, and educators. Please see below for some helpful testing tips.
Parents can support students by ensuring students:
- Get a good night’s sleep every night (but especially during testing).
- Eat a healthy breakfast each morning.
- Arrive to school on time.
- Wear comfortable clothes.
- Provide reassurance as needed.
Students should:
- Listen carefully to all directions.
- Read all answer choices before choosing an answer.
- Skip challenging questions and come back to them before finishing the test.
- If you don’t know an answer, give your best guess but do not leave it blank. Your guess might be right!
- Check your answers before submitting your test.
- If you start to feel nervous, take deeps breath to relax and remember you are only expected to try your best!
Music - Ms. Tursi
First and Second Grades are learning organized movement with a variety of Circle Games and Songs! We will start with “The Farmer’s Dairy Key” and end with “Tideo”. Some learning objectives of circle games include problem solving, cooperation, communication, leadership, self-confidence, decision making, trust, creativity and improvisation.
Third Graders are finishing up the Recorder Karate program. This is the first year that approximately 90% of students will be earning their Black Belt! Don’t forget to mark your calendar on June 14th for the Recorder Performance and Talent Show at 9:00am.
Physical Education - Mr. Bittner
Wow! This year is quickly coming to a close. Our main focus for the remainder of the year will be on teamwork, conflict resolution, and enjoying being active. I like to use a variety of activities like my giant "hamster wheel," which is really a large, looped tarp. Students must work together to move this wheel from one end of the gym to the other.
Teamwork is such an important skill for life as well as in team sports so I like to focus on that this time of year. For some students this is a new or emerging skill but all students can benefit from this skill practice. It's fun getting to see which students step up as leaders and which groups can quickly work together well. Even the groups that initially struggle to communicate and collaborate tend to find success by the end of the activity. It's definitely a learning process.
The other big event coming up is FIELD DAY! Everyone's favorite day of the year or at least I like to think so. We'll be trying out some new activities and preparing for a fun day in the sun - fingers crossed. It's a great way to celebrate being healthy and active and I'm getting excited!
Technology - Ms. Locantora
Our First, Second, and Third Grade Techies will be completing an Animal Web Quest Research Project over the next month. They will be choosing an animal from the National Geographic Kids Website and will also be using PebbleGo to find facts about their animal. All students will be researching and recording the following information: Habitat (where they live and their conditions), Life Cycle, Diet (what they eat), RANGE, Height/Weight, Weird but FUN facts
The students will also get the chance to draw and color their animals, take a few mini-quizzes on the website to see what they have been learning, and they will get to play some fun, educational games about their animals. My 3rd Grade Students will be taking their Quests a step further by writing a paragraph style report about their animal.
We will be completing a portion of the Web Quest each week when your student has Computer class and by the end of the 5th week, their Research Project will be complete for them to take home to show off their hard work!
And because we save the best for last, we will be ending our Web Quest in June with a Virtual Field Trip to the SAN DIEGO ZOO!
World Cultures - Ms. Castro
In World Cultures, we kicked off the month of April with our very first Culture Week. Culture Week was a great success with over 60 participants, and 21 countries represented. Scholars were able to learn and share about the wonderful diversity we have in Bullock. Students brought in artifacts, pictures, dressed up and shared aspects of their culture with their classmates. It was a week of learning and sharing, as students displayed pride towards their family traditions and customs.
In celebration of Earth Day, the entire second grade and International Club students created a school-wide exhibit in collaboration with the Philadelphia Zoo’s UNLESS Contest. Our scholars are learning all about the importance of conservation. Students were able to learn from one another, and gain insight on ways they can help the Earth. Our exhibit was comprised of a Rubbish Rainforest, student generated memes and comics, and so much more. It was great witnessing students facilitate learning and gain a better perspective on ways their little-selves can make a BIG difference.
As we transition into May, students are focusing on our school-wide essential question by creating on a Vision Board for Social Change. Students are being challenged to identify concerns in their community and discuss ways they can be a part of a solution...keep a lookout for pictures in next month’s newsletter.
Special Areas STAR Students!
Artists of the Month: Davonte Cushion, Isaiah Crispin, Miranda Dillard
Musicians of the Month: Isaiah Ward, Madison Olsen, Saniyah Kindle
Athletes of the Month: William Lane, Alan Nop, Jenna Gonzales
Techies of the Month: Alexander Outten, Houston Castroman, Bella VanHorn
World Travelers of the Month: Isabella Callahan, Meilani Rodriguez, Giselle Padams Butler
Bulldog Buddy of the Month: Ryleigh Seas, Joey Porreca, Lae-Ahnnie Miller
The Bulldog Buzz
Email: curriculumcornerpln@gmail.com
Website: http://www.glassboroschools.us/bullockschool
Location: Dorothy L Bullock Elementary, New Street East, Glassboro, NJ, United States
Phone: (856) 652-2700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richtaibi/
Twitter: @RichTaibi